Novel Crimes: Love's Pros and Cons/Suspect of My Heart/Love's Greatest Peril/'Til Death Do Us Part

by Susan K. Downs, Pamela Griffin, Susan K. Downs

When four women begin writing mystery books, they suddenly find themselves entering new lives of intrigue, danger - even love. Will their longing for adventure on paper take them to perilous places in real life? In this intriguing novella compilation, you'll meet four fascinating women: Tina suspects her tall, dark, and mysterious neighbor is a real-life villian. When a local murder bears the markings of an organized crime job - and the criminal evidence mounts against the hunk next door - will Tina's hunches prove true? Raine develops a fictional cast of suspicious characters based on people in her own life. But those same people become actual suspects when Raine determines they're planning to steal her inherited art collection. Will suspect number one make Raine laughingstock number one? As she writes about crime, Justine begins to face mysterious "accidents" and suspicious happenings. She finds herself being stalked. . .but is it by a rogue meaning her harm - or a friend trying to help? Fear fills Cassie's heart when her on-paper tragedies occur in real life - complete with details from her plots. But only one man knows what she's writing - could he be a murderer in disguise? While these women plot intrigue, could God be plotting a much larger story - one involving love?

Genres: Christian Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Mystery

352 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2003

About the author

SUSAN K. DOWNS resides in Canton, Ohio, where her husband serves as a district superintendent for the Church of the Nazarene. This mother of five and grandmother of one traded her career as an international adoption program coordinator for one as a writer and editor, but she still loves to visit Russia. . .if only by way of her imagination.

Reviews

[Mandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dear Mom,

After reading this book, I can see why you left it here at my house. I, too, wish that it would leave my possession quickly. The characters were flat and unbelievable. The plots were completely uninspired. Don’t even get me started on the mangled literary devices the authors tried to use.

This is especially true of the third novella. After I read parts of it aloud, the husband suggested a book burning. Never before have I ever actively contemplated burning a book…and I’ve read some pretty atrocious books. However, if it would save another person from having to read this terrible mess, I say, “pass the lighter fluid.”

So, instead of trying to lighten your luggage by putting your books in my bookcases, Mom, I recommend you place them in the trash bin. It’s a perfectly fitting receptacle for this type of garbage.

Love, Love,
Me

[T.M. Carper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, light-hearted mysteries involving a group of four women known as the "Sleuth Sisters", mystery writers who meet at a writing conference and go home only to become embroiled in their own mysteries.



God plays a big role in the novellas, which I hadn't realized when I first picked up this collection at the library. Still a good read if you're looking for an almost "cozy" type mystery or an inspirational/christian mystery. It was a change of pace for me since I tend to read suspense/thriller and esponiage novels.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed reading this although the focus was not so much on the mystery, but on the lives of each of the four aspiring mystery authors, and the challenges that they underwent in their attempt to separate reality from fiction.

[Arya · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the book that introduced me such superb writers as Susan May Warren and Susan K. Downs this book will always hold a special place in my heart.

[Abbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each of the novellas were pretty good. Susan May Warren's was by far the best, the other three were rather predictable but they were still enjoyable reads!